A Caribbean feast for 'locavores'

There's something in the human soul that loves just about anything deep-fried. So, despite concerns about my girth, I couldn't resist the sizzling tostones (plantain chips) served at Paya--loosely translated, the name means "go there" -- a casual restaurant in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. I wasn't sure about the dip, though. "It's made of corned-beef hash," said our host, celebrity chef Wilo Benet. Yes, that's the processed stuff that comes in a tin.

Benet takes traditional Puerto Rican food such as plantain, grouper, mango and corned beef (it came here with the Americans and has become a staple) and serves it up in new and playful ways. The dip proved delicious, with a salty, spicy taste that boosted the flavour of the plantain nuggets. Another favourite: deep-fried gouda balls with guava sauce.

Benet's approach of using local ingredients and recipes with a twist is apt to find favour with tourists who want a little local flavour, rather than the bland "international cuisine" we've become accustomed to in the Caribbean. In fact, the islands draw on a rich culinary history and a host of ingredients you seldom find elsewhere. But, in order to sample it, you might just have to step out of the big hotels. Read on for a sampling of where to go and what to try on some of the more food-friendly isles.

Puerto Rico

An American protectorate since 1898, Puerto Rico combines ingredients as old as the early Tainos natives -- think nispero (a pulpy oval fruit) and yampee (an edible tuber) -- with American, Spanish and African influences. One area ripe for foodie exploration is SoFo (South Forteleza), in the quaint, cobblestoned heart of Old San Juan. Here a culinary flowering has resulted in a host of wonderful eateries serving Nuevo Latino cuisine. The sixceviche sampler at Aguaviva (the name means jellyfish) turns the taste buds into an erogenous zone, with ingredients such as mahi mahi and mango, or octopus and roasted red pepper, set off with zingy notes of fresh cilantro and citrus. Want budget-priced and delish? Opt for such treats as alcapurrias (meat or crab in a yucca dough) and empenadillas (stuffed pasties), washed down with a frosty beer. At Playa Azul, about an hour from San Juan, you can try them cooked in the traditional way: in lard, over a wood fire. Worth the caloric splurge.

St. Lucia

Look for French Creole sophistication in this island's fine cookery. The Rodney Bay area is ripe for exploration, with 20 restaurants to choose from. Try local specialties such as feroce, a spicy avocado-and-fish filling (that can be ferocious with too much chili, hence the name), and puoile duddon, a chicken stew flavoured with coconut and treacle. For down-home fun, fish-fry night at Anse La Raye is basically a weekly street party with vendors flogging fresh spiced fish and conch, octopus, whelks and lobster, along with "bake" (flat-bread) and copious amounts of rum punch.

Jamaica

It's impossible to talk Caribbean food without mentioning Jamaica. Even the names of dishes are unique, from "run down," a stew made with coconut milk and spices, to "dip and fall back" a spicy concoction with mackerel as a key ingredient. To sample the bounty, stop at one of the jellybean-coloured roadside stalls offering delicious local snacks such as bammi (a hefty flat cassava bread) and spicy jerk chicken or pork, or peppered shrimp or crayfish served in a paper bag. Jerk cooking, perhaps Jamaica's best-known food export, relies on a sauce of lime juice, crushed pimento berries and a plethora of spices that tenderize and flavour the meat. Escaped slaves used the method to preserve meat while on the run. Oh, and FYI, ackee is a kind of fruit that is poisonous when unripe. Jamaicans love it cooked with onions, peppers and salt cod (imported from Canada) for breakfast.

Anguilla

This scrub-brush and rock island has become popular with stars such as J. Lo and Beyonce, who like the fact that no one bothers them. (After a few days of being ignored, Bruce Willis is said to have complained that no one knew who he was on the island.) Although local fruits and veg have been hard to snag in the past, recently opened CuisinArt Resort & Spa has its own gardens. Chef Denise Carr makes liberal use of the fresh produce and other ingredients in her innovative menu. (Think Anguillan lobster salad with passion fruit, lemon beurre blanc and organic greens.) At the lower end of the snack bracket, beach huts such as Gwen's Reggae Grill on Shoal Bay Beach serve up spicy ribs and juicy snapper sandwiches for a pittance. And the hammocks are free.

Barbados

For an overview of Bajan cuisine, try the buffet lunch at Brown Sugar in Aquatic Gap. You'll find flying fish, cou cou (a polenta-like dish of cornmeal and okra), fish cakes, bul jol (a seasoned dish of shredded salt fish), souse (pickled pork) and pepper pot. Or head to Christchurch for Oistin's Friday-night fish fry. Amid music and the pulse of steel drums, a merry mix of locals and tourists dine on the fresh catch, rubbed in a local seasoning of fresh herbs and spices, onions, garlic and nasal-clearing scotch-bonnet pepper. Oh, and don't worry that you're eating Flipper if you see dolphin on the menu: That's the local name for mahi mahi. For sweets, try coconut bread and tamarind balls, advises Bajanborn Brita Greaves of the Barbados Tourism Authority in Canada. "That's what I miss when I'm away."

Grenada

With rich, fertile soil and heavy rains, Grenada produces more than its share of fresh fruits and veggies, not to mention spices. Local restos such as B. B.'s Crab Back in St. George take full advantage of the bounty. Owner Brian Benjamin won't buy at the morning fish market because he knows it's last night's catch. Instead, he buys in the afternoon and serves it that evening. Local dishes worthy of mention include the island's national dish, called oildown, made of salted meat, dumplings, coconut milk and vegetables; stuffed lambi (conch); and steaming callaloo, made from a spinach-like leaf with crabmeat, okra and peppers. Ice cream, anyone? Be sure to stop at Rick's Cafe in Grand Anse shopping centre for tropical flavours like guava, nutmeg and soursop.

Cuba

You don't go to Cuba for the food. But you can find decent local fare, particularly in the cities. Dishes are less spicy than on most Caribbean isles; expect a strong influence from Andalusia in southern Spain, whence the bulk of Cuba's early immigrants hailed. A visit to one of the ubiquitous peladares -- restaurants in private homes -- is an experience to remember. The usual routine: A Cuban sidles up to you and, in the deliberately muted voice you'd use to arrange a drug score, asks if you'd like to try some great food. You agree and are ushered into some-one's home, generally with 12 or fewer tables, to be served typical criollo cuisine: roast chicken or pork served with rice, black beans, yams and fried plantain. Be warned, the quality varies. If you want to be proactive, check out a guidebook for recommendations first.